Don’t be complacent with COVID-19 precautions

SAN LUIS VALLEY – Active COVID-19 cases in the San Luis Valley have increased by 30 in one week.  On Monday, Oct. 19, the San Luis Valley Public Health Partnership announced there are now 69 known active COVID-19 cases.  The past two weeks Alamosa County has surpassed the state’s 5% positivity threshold with 8.7% of tests coming back positive; the fourth highest rate in the state. Colorado’s 7-day positive test rate was 5.4% Oct. 21.


On Oct. 1, the SLV cumulative total cases was 538. Oct. 19, the total has reached 624.  There were also 10 local COVID-related hospitalizations in the two-week period ending Oct. 17.


The San Luis Valley is experiencing a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases. Two weeks ago, we had 15 known active cases in our region, and Oct. 19 the SLV has 69. The high number of contacts represents potential for much higher spread of COVID-19 illness in the coming weeks.


Active cases by county Oct. 19, 2020
Alamosa County: 32
Conejos County: 10
Costilla County: 2
Mineral County: 0
Rio Grande County: 10
Saguache County: 15


SLV public health officials would like to remind everyone in the valley of the importance of staying at home when you are sick or when you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. There is currently an elevated level of the virus in the SLV, and it is critical that each person and each family do their part to prevent spreading the virus.


Governor Polis is warning that Colorado residents need to abide by COVID-19 orders to help to subside the increase in positive cases and hospitalizations in the state before the holiday season.  


State officials are urging Coloradans to continue adhering to COVID-19 protocols as cases and hospitalizations are on the rise. Coloradans are urged to limit in-person gatherings, wash hands regularly, maintain physical distance, and wear a mask when around people outside of their household to help reduce the number of people who get sick with COVID-19. The total number of patients in Colorado currently hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose to 381 on Monday, the highest figure since May. The number of new cases each day over the last week has been about 1,000 daily.


The hope of SLV health officials last month was to begin moving to a less restrictive phase, but instead the SLV is in a very different situation. Mineral County officials received a letter stating,  “The Protect Your Neighbor application that was approved for submission to the State of Colorado a few weeks ago has now been delayed. According to reports from several counties throughout the Valley the joint application to move to the next phase of the state’s COVID response has been placed on the back burner until case numbers in the Valley drop back down.


Nationwide COVID-19 cases are dramatically on the rise and Colorado is not an exception.  According to John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center Colorado neighboring states of Colorado are seeing an alarming rate of positive cases.  Colorado’s statewide positive test results over the past 7 days has risen to 5.4%.   Neighboring states are experiencing a much higher positivity spike in test results the past seven days.  New Mexico is at 6.8%, Kansas has an 19.4% positivity rate, Wyoming is at 35.2%, Utah 16.1%, Arizona 9.4% and Oklahoma 8.3%.


To pursue testing for COVID-19, or for medical questions, call:
Rio Grande Hospital 719-657-4990
SLV Health Respiratory Clinic 719-589-2511 ext. 9
Valley-Wide Health Systems 719-589-3658 ext. 9 (M-F), 719-589-2562 (Sa/Su)